Understanding Lookalike Audiences: Static or Dynamic?

When creating a lookalike audience on Facebook, especially using a dynamic custom audience such as one seeded by a Facebook pixel, a common question arises: does the lookalike audience remain static or does it update over time as more data is gathered?

Static Lookalike Audiences

When you create a lookalike audience, it is initially static. This means that it does not automatically update or refine itself as more people are added to the seed audience after the lookalike audience has been generated. The lookalike audience remains as it was at the time of its creation until you decide to regenerate it using a new or updated seed audience.

Why Does This Matter?

For sites relying heavily on user interaction, such as conversions or page views, having a static lookalike audience may not be ideal. This is because the underlying data could quickly become outdated, leading to less precise targeting and potentially lower ad performance. Additionally, if the seed audience changes over time (e.g., more visitors, different user behaviors), the lookalike audience does not reflect these changes.

Dynamic Updates in Lookalike Audiences

However, there is an exception. Lookalike audiences generated from a dynamic source, such as conversion events or pageviews, are designed to update automatically. They adjust continuously over a period of 3 to 7 days, as long as your ad account remains active. These dynamic lookalike audiences become more accurate and relevant as they incorporate more recent data, making them more valuable for targeted advertising.

Comparing Static and Dynamic Lookalike Audiences

The key advantage of dynamic lookalike audiences is their adaptability. Unlike static audiences, which rely on an initial seed that does not change, dynamic audiences evolve with the behavior of the user base. This dynamic nature makes them far more useful for ongoing marketing campaigns, as they stay contemporary and reflect current user behavior.

Best Practices for Ad Campaign Management

Many marketers, such as Michael, prefer not to rely solely on lookalike audiences. Instead, they advocate for a focused approach on retargeting visitors from their website with pixels and leveraging custom audiences from customer databases. This method ensures that ads are shown to actual high-value leads who have already interacted with the site, rather than targeting an undefined pool of lookalike users.

Why Retargeting Sometimes Outperforms Lookalike Audiences

Retargeting with pixels and custom audiences often yields better performance for several reasons. Firstly, the data behind these audiences is specific and actionable, based on real past behavior. Secondly, these audiences can be segmented and refined more precisely, leading to higher relevance and engagement. Lastly, they are easier to manage and update, providing more direct control over ad spend and performance.

Conclusion

In summary, lookalike audiences can be either static or dynamic, depending on the underlying data source. While static audiences are useful for certain scenarios, dynamic ones are more flexible and accurate, especially when targeting users based on recent interactions and behaviors. Meanwhile, retargeting with pixels and custom audiences remains a powerful and effective strategy for many advertisers, offering more precise and manageable segmentation.